Relationship marketing is about connecting with people in a pleasing, persuasive way to meet the needs of the customer and the provider.
In a true value-for-value relationship, everyone wins.
There’s an old saying that many have accepted as true for a while: “If you keep on doing what you’ve already done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve already got.” Well, that seemed to be true at first brush.
However, if you’re in an environment that is shifting, changing and constantly morphing into something new, what got you to the level of success you have now might be so outdated that it not only doesn’t work — it can harm you.
An old model of selling
A good example of that is the old model of “push” selling. It used to be that the salesman with the loudest voice — the best shouter — won attention. Broadcast more and you get more business. Scream louder on the radio and you sell more (Ugh! Remember those repulsive commercials?)
This pattern of push selling became so prominent that it attracted a very negative phrase. If you didn’t like a particular salesman you’d say he was a “pushy” salesman. Perhaps that label was appropriate.
Then there was the next evolutionary admonition to use “pull marketing.” The idea was that instead of pushing something on prospects, you’d entice them. Sometimes this was with a free offer or an “ethical bribe,” as many internet marketers have said. Pull marketing was a shade better than push, but still had its share of problems.
A new path to marketing success
Today, successful marketing is not push.
It is not even pull.
Today successful marketing is about pairing. Successful relationship marketing is about bringing people together to pair them up for mutual benefits. People want to be around others who share common interests. People want to be around people they like. People want to find out more about products and services that will help them.
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